


Realizations

by Raiadel



Series: Jaesa's Awakening [5]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Arguing, Betrayal?, F/M, Fights, First Dates, First Kiss, First dates gone wrong, Injury, Nar Shaddaa, Near Death Experiences, Overprotective, Voss - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-02 12:16:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10217813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiadel/pseuds/Raiadel
Summary: Things were going so right…before they went so wrong.





	1. Realizations

**Author's Note:**

> Well this one was a beast to write. 
> 
> You know when you have a scene so perfectly planned in your mind but it relies on so many nonverbal cues that it’s almost impossible to write cohesively? And when you finally get a draft down, it sounds all wrong? So you have to rewrite it a dozen times? That was this chapter.

Jaesa exited the ship, walking down the ramp slowly in the first pair of heeled boots that she had worn since her handmaiden days on Alderaan. It was taking a little practice, but she was slowly regaining her talent and composure. Vette had helped her put together a decent outfit with the bits and pieces she had picked up in multiple planetary markets and Jaesa had to say, she looked damned good. Even Vette was impressed considering what they had to work with.

After a moment of deliberation, she had left her lightsaber on the ship and instead tucked a vibroknife into her boot. Her doublesaber hilt was too long to effectively hide underneath a long coat. Khryden had told her to not look like a Sith and instead dress casually, like a spacer so there was less of a chance of being recognized. As much as she loved her robes, dressing up in different clothing was a nice change.

So she had used the slightly revealing but fashionably cut deep blue tunic from one of her old handmaiden outfits, borrowed the skin tight dark brown pants from Vette, and repurposed her old Jedi over robes as a long brown coat that flared around her ankles. Jaesa forwent the ostentatious purple face paint and instead settled for a light layer of purple eyeshadow and rose lip color.

She smiled at herself in the mirror, admiring her work. If there was one thing Alderaan nobility had taught her besides walking everywhere in heels, it was how to make cosmetics look good.

Closing her makeup case, she ran her fingers through her straightened hair, trying to quash the butterflies in her stomach. After all this waiting, it was finally _here_. Now to go make the most of it.

She stepped softly down the gangplank, skillfully avoiding the slats that sought to trap her heels and paused at the bottom, looking around until Khryden peeled himself from the shadows and sauntered over. “You look ravishing,” he commended as he approached. His eyes dipped once to her cleavage, then slid back up to her astonished face. “What?”

“You—your tattoo is gone! And your skin is darker…is that makeup?” She reached out a finger, touching his cheek lightly and feeling the texture of concealer underneath. “Why?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “That’s the problem with tattoos, they’re too recognizable. Especially facial ones. And since we’re going incognito, I had to cover it up somehow. And believe it or not, I did have two younger sisters that loved to get into my mother’s makeup case and practice on each other. I was quick to tell them when it looked terrible, but they learned eventually, and I learned a bit by watching them.”

“You're a man of many talents, aren’t you?” She grinned slyly, placing her hands on his chest and stepping close. “What else can you do?”

He leaned forward, breath whispering over her cheek as his lips brushed her ear, and his voice lowered an octave. “Come with me and find out.”

She shivered lightly as he withdrew with a calculating smile on his face.

He held out a hand. “Shall we?”

Jaesa smirked. “Let’s.”

\--=+=--

The restaurant was set just off the Upper Promenade, tucked away in a quiet corner away from most of the lights and hubbub of the Nar Shaddaa evening. The atmosphere was subtle and pleasing, with a soft drone of conversation quiet enough to seem like background noise. He was regaling her with soft stories of his early days as an apprentice, per her request, describing Vette by his side providing snarky commentary while he tried _not_ to kill every sniveling soldier they met. “Balmorra… ugh. Back when Vette and I were wading through mud and blood and idiots alike. She had quite the ball with shrewdly insulting most everyone we came across.”

Jaesa hid a smile. That definitely sounded like the wiry Twi’lek. “Speaking of which, what was that favor you asked of Vette? I believe you said some of it was attributed to me?”

He took a sip of Alderaanian wine. “I took your advice,” he said simply. “Back on Belsavis, you recommended Vette’s services in helping me track down my siblings, if any of them are still alive. I thought about it and decided that it was the best course of action. I’d like to know if any of them survived before I face Baras. I approached her and she was surprisingly receptive to the idea. She agreed to help me—subtly—track them down.”

 _And that is the bridge I was waiting for,_ she thought. _This is my chance to learn a little more about him. The wine should have loosened his tongue, but hopefully he trusts me enough._

Jaesa lowered her fork deliberately, having committed to her course of action, and Khryden looked up expectantly.

She set the utensil down and clasped her hands together. “You know my entire life story, but I know next to nothing about yours.”

He grimaced and looked away, food temporarily forgotten. “It's not quite dinner appropriate…”

She hurriedly backtracked, giving him an out. “You don't have to if you don't want to.”

He turn his head and his serious gaze locked with hers. “...but if you want to hear it, I'm willing to share. Relationship trust works both ways, right?”

Jaesa bit her lip. “Right.”

He nodded, staring into his drink. “I grew up on a neutral Outer Rim planet, a small one that I doubt you've heard of. Its main thoroughfare was agriculture, although more black market deals went on there than the Promenade on Nar Shaddaa. My father was a retired smuggler. He sold his ship once he got too old for smuggling and settled down with my mother on a small farm. He never stopped dealing, though, and it brought in enough credits to keep us comfortable.”

“‘Us' as in…” she said slowly.

He nodded. “Me, my parents, and my brothers and sisters. I have seven siblings total. Five brothers and two sisters, twins. Life was good until slavers came and razed the town we lived in. My mother and father tried to hide us, but only succeeded with two of my brothers, I think. The slavers found the rest of us. They took everyone they thought would be valuable, mostly kids, beautiful women, and strong men and killed the rest, my parents included.” His eyes iced over suddenly. “They were apparently too old to be of much use.”

She reached over and placed her hands on top of his, offering what little reassurance she could. He responded with a small smile and shrugged. “I don't think about it much anymore. It was quite a few years ago. I don't even remember them that well.”

Jaesa could feel the falsity in his words, even without her special power. But she stayed silent, letting him believe his own lies for now.

“We were separated soon after. My oldest brother, Khrysaor, and I were taken together and dropped off on Rishi to be auctioned off. That's where Khrysaor got rescued by a pair of Jedi sent to scout out the sudden influx of people. I think they suspected we were enemy troops, and they were surprised to say the least when they found two half-starved slaves instead. They took him, and left me to die.”

“Because they saw darkness in you,” Jaesa confirmed.

Khryden nodded. “Or so they said. Darkness, motivation, what's the difference? At that time, the thing I wanted in the world was to get my brother and me out, by any means possible. They interpreted it as the presence of the dark side.” He smirked in his drink as he raised the glass for a sip, but the expression lacked its usual bite. “Looks like they were right. At the time, I was furious. They took him just like the slavers took the rest of my family and I thought I had completely run out of luck.”

Jaesa leaned forward. “If the Jedi had taken you, we never would have met. I count that as being very lucky.”

His face relaxed as he met her eyes. “I suppose. Though we might have met as Jedi.”

“Ew.” Jaesa made a face. “Then we would have had to contend with Jedi relationship restrictions and judgements. I much prefer this.”

Her emphatic response put a smile on his lips. “True. I wouldn't have made a very good Jedi, anyway.”

Laughter bubbled up from her chest and spilled over at the mental picture. “Oh stars, you as a Jedi…!”

His smile widened as amusement danced in his eyes. “I would go insane, I think. Being so cloistered and regulated. Seen as a servant for the entire Republic. Hell, just wearing those robes would drive me mad.”

They sat in silence for a moment, indulging their minds a moment and envisioning how things would have been different.

Khryden chuckled under his breath. “But this is how things go. I've made something of myself, by myself. And it's made me stronger. The Jedi would have kept me weak.” He rubbed his forehead. “I have never told anyone how I came to Academy, or how I became Baras’ apprentice. The ones who do know because they witnessed it are either missing or dead. Because of the Empire's stance on slaves, I resolved to keep my past as secret as possible, lest it would hinder my progress through the Sith ranks.”

Jaesa placed her right hand over her heart, sincerity ringing in her tone. “I swear upon my life that I will keep your secrets until I lay in my grave. I swore to do it as your apprentice, but this is my promise to you, not as my lord, but as my friend and love. I will kill anyone that dares to move against you to try and discover the truth.”

His eyes softened and he reached up a hand to brush the backs of his fingers tenderly across her cheek. “Thank you, for what it's worth. There might still be records of my origin in the Korriban archives, but as the Wrath I would be notified should anyone below Dark Council status try to access them. However, I feel apprehension as to what the Council may think if they find out that the Emperor's Wrath used to be a slave before attaining noble status.”

“You were elevated by the Hand,” Jaesa said firmly. “Even the Dark Council would not dare to move outwardly against the Emperor's chosen.”

“I fear that bond is weakening,” he admitted. “The longer the Emperor goes without speaking to them, the less faith they have. They still respect the Hand, but it erodes a modicum amount with every event that goes unnoticed. The whispers have been going on for a while, ever since I was an acolyte.” His callused fingers tapped the tabletop absentmindedly. “That's why I need to finish this business with Baras as quickly as possible. They need to be reminded of the Emperor's power. The Hand has been pressuring me to stamp out the fire at its source. And for that to happen, the Dark Council needs to recognize my existence and status.” He sighed. “Which is how it comes back to the Council looking for ways to discredit me, starting with my origins. I can't give them the benefit of the doubt that this dissension is isolated. Even one or two unhappy Councilors is enough to put the issue of the Emperor's silence on every radar.”

Jaesa nodded slowly, finally understanding how it all fit together. “I see. Shall we take a walk, then?” He glanced at her and she tipped her head to the door. “Away from curious ears and prying eyes?”

His expression cleared and he held up a finger, waving down a passing waitress. “Can we get our check?” he said quietly. “We have someplace to be…”

“Of course, sir.” The waitress bobbed. “Right away.”

The check appeared, and was swiftly paid for by a credit stick from Khryden’s pocket.

He batted away her credits as she offered it. “It's a date, remember? My treat.”

They left soon after that, walking along a nearly empty wing of the Upper Promenade, stretching high above the blackness of empty space. It was firmly night by then, with the open abyss beyond the railing pitch black and only lit by the myriad of lights from taxis, buildings, and various docking bays that surrounded the Promenade. The thousands of lights glittered like stars, mimicking the real stars way above them, and Jaesa leaned on the railing to appreciate them, the feeling of being inches away from the void igniting heated adrenaline in her veins.

After glancing surreptitiously around for eavesdroppers, Khryden joined her at the edge, leaning his forearms again the rail.

“So,” she said. “Korriban?”

He nodded slowly. “Once I start, don’t stop me. It will be difficult to start again.” He sucked in some air, focusing on his words. “As you know, I started a slave.

“It was by my own work that I freed myself. Got adopted by an ancient but indebted house of Sith after I murdered one of their rivals while still in slavery. Took a lot of planning to figure out who to target and who would be grateful for my eliminating them. It took even more planning to time it right. Once the deed was done, they sent me to Korriban on an accelerated program, desperately thinking I would bring due honor back to their family name. But no, they were slandered when the Sith above them found out I was previously a slave. And so began their plotting of my unfortunate demise at the hands of the Academy. I was sent there with combat and Force expertise, but no knowledge of its inner workings and they hoped it would be enough to kill me quietly.” He grimaced. “It almost was.”

He paused, taking a breath, and his eyebrows slanted. “They thought they were safe when I nearly died from a beating after admitting no knowledge of the Sith Code to one of the overseers, and when Vemrin became my rival and vowed to be the cause of my death. They thought they were safe even as I quartered Vemrin deep in the tombs and became Darth Baras’ apprentice. They thought I owed them. I came home the first day of leave Baras permitted and confronted them with their lack of preparation, and the story came out, along with numerous platitudes unbefitting of such an ancient Sith family. So I executed them all. Made it look like a series of convenient accidents. I took their name and vowed to remake the house in my way. The Sith they were previously indebted to was thrilled at this change in developments and required me to perform a few jobs for him, testing my mettle. It gave me the practice I needed to excel at being Baras’ enforcer. The Sith erased the rest of the debt on my new name as payment and told me he’d be watching me very carefully as he could sense that I was destined for great things. Since then, he’s practically disappeared and I haven’t heard from him. But occasionally I’ll hear his name and be reminded of everything that’s happened.”

He gazed off into the black expanse before them. “Everything I have I’ve worked for and achieved with my own sweat and blood. I was a slave, yes, but I pulled myself out and gave myself a name that others were determined to take away. I consider myself to be the last in line to house Valair.”

Silence fell over them like a gossamer blanket, warm and unnoticeable. The illuminations of Nar Shaddaa’s expanse glittered and shone as the planet came alive at night and Jaesa watched more blink into existence with a wistful smile.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” she murmured. “The lights look like stars.”

She cast a side glance at Khryden, her mouth opening to ask a question, but the words and thought in her head fizzled out as she caught him looking at her with a strange expression on his face. Time slowed to a crawl as her heart pounded and they locked gazes.

 _His eyes are captivating_ , she thought mindlessly. _They’re gold like mine, but more of an orange gold. They’re darker. And… closer?_

Bare fingers brushed her chin, tilting her head up, and her eyelids slid closed of their own volition as his lips brushed hers gently.

Heat flared, originating everywhere at once and Jaesa couldn’t stop the gasp that sliced through her lips as he pulled a few inches away, breath stuttering as he inhaled.

She was barely aware of her pulse pounding in her ears and some god had made everything around them fade away into the blackness of the void. All she could think of was _more, more, she wanted more!_

Emboldened, she reached out, hungry fingers grasping at his collar and around the back of his neck, feeling him shudder at her touch. She tugged at him and he moved readily, hands pressing persuasively at her upper and lower back as she crushed her lips to his. The second kiss was even better than the last with flames licking at every piece of exposed flesh, centering on skin to skin contact. His head slanted, bearing down on her with unquenchable hunger. She fought back just as vivaciously, arching her spine automatically while vying for dominance with her tongue. There was an underlying softness to the aggression of the kiss, a juxtaposition that made it feel like a drug taking over her system, swiftly ridding her of the ability to think or speak cohesively.

She couldn’t get close enough. Pressing the entire length of her body to his still wasn’t close enough. His hands began to roam, one drifting downwards, sliding under her long coat to cup her rear. Jaesa let loose a little moan, hooking her leg around his waist for better access, and feeling the surge in his aura in reply. Her fingers gripped the access point to his chest, nearly tearing the collar and a few of the buttons before she gave up and splayed the hand over the suggestive triangle of exposed flesh at his throat. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to be able to rip that cloistering shirt off of him right now…!

Someone cleared their throat loudly. Jolted back to themselves, Khryden and Jaesa jumped, startled, and she stepped away from him, face reddening and heart pounding.

The magical atmosphere faded as she beheld a group of four mercenaries dressed in heavy armor and wielding an array of blaster pistols, rifles, and vibroswords. Her head was still spinning, but she was brought heavily back down to earth at the sight of Force-dampening cuffs strapped to each of their belts.

 _Khryden_ , she hissed.

She felt his nod. _I see the cuffs. Exercise caution_.

“Jaesa Willsaam?” The merc on the far right stepped forward, pistol at the ready. “You’re coming with us, we’re here to claim the bounty on your head. So come quietly and we won’t kill your boy toy over there.”

_Boy toy? I’m almost offended. They don’t recognize me._

_You did cover your facial tattoo. Without it, and with those clothes, you look like a normal human smuggler._

_Excuse me, are you challenging my propensity to look like a Sith?_ he teased lightly. _Maybe I should bathe in their blood. Just to prove a point._

 _Not if I get to them first_ , she grumbled. _Look at them, they’ve discounted you already because they don’t think you’re Force sensitive. Let’s play it up._

She placed a hand on Khryden’s arm. “Be a dear and don’t move very much. You might get shot and I ‘d hate it if anything were to happen to your pretty face.”

He mumbled something in agreement, affecting a terrified look on his face as surveyed the hunters and shrinking in on himself.

“Bounty hunters?” She scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Forgive me if I’m not shaking in my boots. I’ve had to deal with people disrupting my dates too much.”

Almost unaware of it, her voice took on the aloof tones of an entitled Sith. It wasn’t hard—she’d heard Khryden do it countless times. Some people respond better to an authority figure, he had told her. So she layered it on thickly, putting a touch of Force into her words.

The mercs didn’t move. The leader, seeing her without a lightsaber in her hands, seemed to relax a bit. “We’ve got you outnumbered. Don’t try anything. Just get on the ground and put your hands behind your head.”

 _Well. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. As much as I love shedding the blood of idiotic mercenaries, we are both woefully underprepared for this._ He nudged her lightly with an elbow. _Come closer to me. I can sneak a hilt into your waistband. I could only smuggle one under my clothes and they expect you to be Sith._

“At least let me steal one more kiss,” she sulked, exaggerating an eye roll. Rolling her eyes at the mercs, she made a show of turning to him, hand snaking up around his neck and forcefully pulling his lips to hers. His hand fluttered at her waist for a moment before he remembered what he was supposed to be doing and used the cover of her long brown over robes to tuck a warm metal cylinder in her waistband.

 _You don’t play fair_ , he chided, even his mental voice sounding a bit short of breath as she broke the kiss.

 _Who said this was about playing fair?_ She smirked. _What I want to know is how the hell you managed to hide_ anything _in those tight pants._

If he hadn’t been wearing a terrified smuggler’s façade, Jaesa was fairly certain she would have seen him smirk.

_I didn’t pull it out of my ass, if that’s what you're asking._

She very nearly lost her composure at that one. Barely restraining a snorting laugh, she let her hand linger on his shoulder before sweeping it off as if she had already forgotten about him, and turning back to the mercs.

She pouted. “I’m really disappointed. All I wanted was to have a good time and it has to be crashed by bounty hunters of all people. I do hope you know what you’re doing. This will require you to fight a Sith lord, you know.”

The lead hunter spat on the ground. “We’ve all fought Sith before. Sith and Jedi. You aren’t as tough as you think you are.”

“Are you sure you can’t be persuaded to leave us alone? There was something I’d really like to get back to that you interrupted us from.”

Next to her, Khryden ducked his head, emulating the embarrassment of a smuggler being caught.

In response, the mercs raised their pistols. Jaesa sighed theatrically. “Well, half-assed diplomacy failed. Guess it’s time to murder everyone.”

“The contract didn’t specify dead or alive.” The lead bounty hunter palmed his gun. “We know how to handle your kind.”

“Then by all means.” Jaesa slipped the hilt from her waistband and activated it mid-flourish, casting a fiery orange glow over her face. “Show me.”

\--=+=--

The mercs opened fire immediately, a hail of blaster shots raining down upon her as Khryden threw himself in a combat roll and coming up in a crouch behind a holographic tree’s terminal. Poking out his head, he had to firmly tamp down the protective urge to interfere. Instead, he eyed the battlefield. A laugh slipped from her lips as she batted shots away, though her brow was furrowed in concentration. Khryden frowned. So used to a double bladed saber was she that Jaesa had nearly forgotten what it was like to use a single blade again. Her movements were jerky as her wrists snapped the blade in ten different directions at once, pausing only to pull up a temporary Force shield as she Force pushed the far left merc as far away as she could.

From his vantage point, he could see the merc on the far right dart in with an unsheathed vibroblade.

 _Vibroblade coming at your back, overhead!_ Khryden hissed in her mind.

Unable to confirm the warning and only able to react, Jaesa twisted, his orange lightsaber angled downward as it clashed with the incoming vibroblade. She spun, her boot making solid contact with the merc’s hip and throwing him off balance. Unknowingly, Khryden’s hands clenched into fists. He had to physically hold himself back to prevent him from blowing his tactical advantage. He wanted nothing more than to be out there at her side, striking down those that dared to stand in their way, but cool logic managed to stave off the fire of passion. For now.

Almost distractedly, he noticed the merc thrown to the side earlier was standing up. Keeping his hand hidden from view behind his cover, Khryden carefully timed his move with Jaesa’s attack pattern and grabbed the Force as she flung out her left hand for balance. Thus able to justify his move, he casually ripped up a holographic shrub’s terminal and slammed it into the merc’s legs with a satisfying crunch as the hunter screamed in pain.

Though unable to assist her using conventional means, he mused as he pressed his shoulder to the holographic terminal, there was nothing in the galaxy that could prevent him from doing whatever he could to help her.  Submersing himself in the Force, he allowed the dark power to flow through his body, coalescing in his repaired hand. He spread his fingers, anchoring one hunter’s foot to the floor. The hunter stumbled, letting loose a yell, and jerked backwards, blood spurting from his mouth as Jaesa planted a fist in his jaw.

The droplets of blood flecked her face as her hardened features seemed to freeze in a moment in time as Khryden stared, drawn to her aura of wild freedom. Her face was simultaneously terrifying and endearing. The blood that dotted her cheeks melded with the visage of intense concentration and combined with the wildly feral flash in her eyes to lend her the façade of a warrior princess. She was untamed fury as she danced, each movement portraying nothing but exhilaration and vigor as she played with her food. Despite being able to have ended this fight long ago, she was trapped in the swirling eddies of enjoyment and domination, unwilling to bring her sustained entertainment to a swift end.

And by the stars, he was as drunk on it as she was. Seeing his apprentice—no, his friend— _no_ , his beloved—enjoying herself so enormously as she wreaked havoc on their enemies.

He almost didn’t notice the blaster.

Movement out of the corner of his eye seized his attention. The merc lying under the thrown holographic shrub terminal was trapped with two broken legs, but he could still hold a blaster. With Jaesa’s attention in the opposite direction, the merc leveled his pistol to aim at the center of her back, intent on causing her grievous harm, and fired.

Khryden didn’t think. He reacted.

He shot out of cover, using the Force to speed his movements, racing against a blaster bolt. The only thing running through his head was a drone of _no no no no no no no_ as his heart finally caught up to his brain and clawed its way into his throat. Seconds slowed and his mind and vision narrowed until nothing mattered except his tunnel vision as he lunged between Jaesa and the blaster shot. The shot that was heading right for his unarmored heart. His hands flew up, snatching for the Force inelegantly, ripping the power to the left.

The blast angled to the left away from his heart, but not far enough. Khryden lost control over his Force speed as the shot impacted.

Agony flared in his bicep, an intense burning sensation that he hadn’t felt in a long while and tore a gasp from his lungs. Shock and momentum—more so than pain—made him stumble and fall backwards. He had gotten shot before, many times in fact, but only a few had been while he was wearing civilian clothes with no armor to speak of. With no buffer between the shot and his skin, the blast jetted through his upper arm, spraying blood out of the gash as it ripped out a chunk of his arm.

The moment he hit the ground, dark side power blazed like a beacon next to him. It was explosive even to his pain dulled senses, and he winced, thinking that it must have alerted every Jedi within a five hundred length radius.

\--=+=--

Jaesa was done playing.

The pain that had flared across their bond coupled with Khryden’s unintentional cry had summoned a demonic darkness of power that she used to quickly dispatch the mercs. The carefree attitude she had worn seconds before had withered away, quickly ceding control to pulsing waves of fury. The lightsaber flashed, stabbing one bounty hunter in the chest before spinning lightly and swiftly beheading another and chopping off an arm in the same stroke. In moments, blood and body parts splattered the ground, staining clothes and skin alike.

But she paid no attention to the gore speckling her face, nor to the slippery bodily fluids that made her stumble as she raced to his side. He was sitting up against the wall, medpac in hand, as he bit off the cap of a painkiller shot and jammed it into his arm. She collapsed to her knees in front of him, taking the medpac from him with insistent fingers and efficiently affixed two kolto patches to cover both sides of the graze. _Protecting me again. How many times do I have to say that I don’t need or want it?_ Her frustration made her movements jerky, but she finished the first aid quickly.

“We need to move fast.” He grunted as he stood, pushing off of the floor with one hand. “Every Jedi in the area would have felt that. I have an apartment just off the Lower Promenade. We can hide out there.”

He looked paler than usual. Whether it was from pain or blood loss, Jaesa didn’t know. Numerous things clawed for her attention, but she shoved them back, focusing single-mindedly on getting them both to relative safety. Petty emotions and distractions could wait. “We’ll have to take a speeder. There’s too much blood on your clothes to avoid attention if we walk. And besides, I don’t want you to pass out.”

Khryden glanced sharply at her, hearing her flat tone of voice. He knew something was off immediately, but to her relief, he didn’t press. “Right. I’ll call for a speeder.”

She snatched the holocommunicator out of his hand with a bit more force than strictly necessary. “Let me.”

He stayed silent as she placed the order, listing off coordinates a couple blocks away as the pickup point. The droid in charge of the service wished them a pleasant day and informed them to expect an estimated arrival of twenty minutes due to the heavy volume of traffic. Jaesa closed the connection tucked away the holocomm, ducking under Khryden’s good arm and securing it around her shoulders.

He tried to protest. “I’m not an invalid. I was shot in the arm, not the legs.”

She spun, fury flaring in her eyes as she poked him in the chest. “You don’t get to decide anything about your welfare, mister, seeing as you thought it prudent to jump in front of a blaster bolt!”

He opened his mouth, but Jaesa held up a commanding hand. “Not here. We can discuss this once we get to your apartment.”

Exiting the area nearly got them caught by two Jedi trying to rush inconspicuously to the scene. With a hiss of displeasure, Jaesa tugged Khryden off to the side and pulled on the Force to shadow them. With a bit of stealth coverage and a heap of luck, they managed to slip past the Jedi silently. Jaesa kept the stealth effect going as they made slow progress to the pickup point, dropping it only when the speeder door closed.

Khryden rattled off an address to the pilot droid before lapsing into uncomfortable silence. Jaesa sat stock still in her seat, fingertips tensely rubbing each other as the Nar Shaddaa lights blurred in passing. The trip only took a few minutes, but it felt like hours.

When they finally reached his apartment, a small building in a darkened sector off the Lower Promenade, Jaesa’a bubbling frustrations had subsided somewhat. Time cooled her emotions, but not her logic.

She helped Khryden into the large but sparsely furnished apartment, shutting the door behind them, then starting at the sudden appearance of an exotic red skinned Zabrak woman with jagged black tattoos and spiky black hair down at the end of the hall. The woman took one look at Khryden and gasped, attracting his gaze.

“Xora,” he called, “fetch Tothlak and tell him to bring his medical supplies. I am in need of treatment.”

The Zabrak nodded and hurried off, paying no mind to Jaesa standing in Khryden’s shadow.

“You never mentioned you had slaves,” she murmured acidly. “Or this apartment.”

His mouth tightened. “Xora’s no slave. Besides, some things are better off unknown unless circumstances require it. Inherited house slaves and planetary safe houses are two of them.”

Indignation flashed through her, but she pushed it back from the surface for the moment.

“If it helps, you’re the first person I’ve ever brought here. Xora will be thrilled once I introduce you.”

Was that jealously that fired her veins? “Who is this Xora?”

A reminiscing look entered his eyes. “It’s a long story, but—“

“Then give me the short version,” she nearly growled.

“We were on Korriban together in most of the same classes,” he said, frowning as he remembered. “On account of the two of us being the top two duelists in our class, we were often sparring partners and gained a grudging respect for each other. Both of us passed our trials at about the same time, she a month before me, but I had the advantage of being human. Most Sith lords that come to the Academy looking for an apprentice are very alien-resistant. Though Xora was a skilled duelist and knew the Sith Code front to back, her species prevented even the weakest lords from considering her. When I was apprenticed to Darth Baras mere days after I completed my trials, she felt like she had seen all that she needed to from Korriban. She took her lightsaber and stowed away on a ship. She made her way to Nar Shaddaa eventually and set to work reforming the gangs in the area until she created her own spy network. When I inherited the Valair name and property, I allowed her to set up headquarters here, seeing as it sat empty for months and I don’t use it that much.”

Jaesa’s acid reply was interrupted by a thickly muscled yellow Twi’lek male walked swiftly into the foyer, bowing to Khryden. “My lord, it is an honor to serve you, always. If you would come with me into the kitchen, I can treat your wounds.”

“As quickly as possible, Tothlak. My associate and I have things to discuss.”

The Twi’lek male helped Khryden strip off his ruined jacket and shirt and went to work as Jaesa leaned against the wall, watching them with mixed feelings. On one hand, she was trying to be rational. But on the other, a part of her wanted to blow this way out of proportion and felt justified in doing so.

Tothlak finished cleaning the wound and reapplying kolto patches before grabbing a roll of white bandages and wrapping them around Khryden’s bicep.

“The good news is that it’s only a graze, my lord. Let the kolto do its work and you’ll be fine in a few days. I suggest taking it easy on the arm until then, though. Stress will only aggravate it and make it heal slower.” The Twi’lek gathered the bloody clothes. “If my master desires anything else, merely call and I shall assist you. Lady Xora has already placed requests for baths to be drawn and food to be prepared. Does my master require anything else?”

Khryden waved him off. “Nothing more, Tothlak. You may return to whatever you were working on.”

“As always, it is a pleasure to serve you, master.”

As soon as the Twi’lek left, Jaesa turned her blistering gaze to Khryden. He raised his head, his eyes glinting like hardened jewels in the light as he carefully folded his arms over his bare chest. “Well? This is as private as it’s going to get. What’s bothering you?”

The words, said almost flippantly to her ears, sparked the bonfire of angered frustration that she had been holding back. Dark side power flared around her, edging her form in crimson.

 “You need to stop this. I can’t take it anymore.”

His eyebrows drew together. “Stop what?”

Her irises blazed blood red and she gestured to his arm violently. “This! You getting injured for me. Protecting me. How many times do I have to tell you I don’t want it! You make it seem like I’m incapable of taking care of myself. I’m not some wilting flower that will get willingly mowed down as the mere breath of the wind. I am not the helpless handmaiden from Alderaan anymore, nor am I the weak, passionless Jedi I once was. I am Sith and I will not be coddled.”

His voice was quiet as he struggled to remain calm. “That’s not what I meant to do.”

Jaesa’s hands clenched into fists. “Well that’s what you’re doing! You have no right to appoint yourself my protector. Did I ask for it? No. Have I been silent with my protests? Also no. _But you don’t listen!_ And every time you get yourself hurt protecting me is another slight. I can’t protect you, you won’t let me. It’s not fair letting this be one sided. You’re treating me like a child!”

“And why don’t you ever think about what I feel?” For all his valiant attempts, Khryden’s temper broke loose and he thrust himself to his feet, gaining a height advantage as he glared at her. “You want to know how much it hurts me when you get injured? I _feel your pain,_ Jaesa! Every cut, every burn hurts me just as much! I don’t want you to hurt yourself just to spite me. I want to save you that pain! I can’t bear seeing you wounded! Seeing you in that kolto tank after Draagh incapacitated you _hurt_ me!”

Undaunted, she got right up into his face. “And what makes you so special?” she spat. “The bond works both ways, genius! I feel it too when you get stabbed or shot or burned. Wanting to save me pain does nothing! And that _doesn’t_ make up for the fact that you’re treating me like glass! I’m not breakable, Khryden! If you want to help me, let me do something! Stop this obsessive protectiveness and let me show you how strong I am!”

His face was stone. “I don’t think I can do that,” he said evenly.

Overwhelming irritation made her tremble with its magnitude. Her fingernails dug crescent divots into her palms, pain spiking up her arms. “Then come get me when you _can_!”

Blood pounding in her ears, she spun on her heel and stomped out the door, slamming it behind her.

The cool night air hit her cheeks, chilling one liquid line as it slid down to her jaw.

\--=+=--

Khryden collapsed into the chair, the fight draining out of him the moment the door closed. Propping up his elbows on his knees, he let his face fall forward into his hands, ignoring the flash of pain from knitting flesh. Now that his blood was cooling, regret was starting to make its home in his chest.

What had he done?

Or better yet: what had gone wrong?

The date had started out so perfectly. Dinner was fantastic. Talking with her was amazing. The kiss…was extraordinary. Then the bounty hunters had showed up and it had spiraled downwards into destruction.

“You’ve got it bad, Khry.”

He raised his head, gaze falling on the Zabrak woman that leaned against the doorway. She carried her overly muscled body lightly with graceful poise, completely comfortable with the simple black hilt gracing her hip. Jagged black tattoos struck her passive face like lightning originating from her spiked black hair.

He groaned, dropping his head back into his palms. “Is it that obvious?”

The Zabrak huffed in light laughter and offered him a damp cloth. “Only if you have eyes. Or ears, considering how that last encounter went.”

He accepted it with an uneasy expression and set about wiping the blood flecks and make-up from his face. “I think I screwed up, Xora. How badly did I screw up?”

The alien inspected her nails. “By no means am I an expert on the female brain, but I do have some experience, given that I host one. And I’d say you did. Pretty damn bad.”

Khryden groaned again, internal organs twisting with a nightmarish combination of nerves, regret, and the last vestiges of adrenaline. Rubbing the cloth over the tattoo on his forehead, he finished cleaning his face and balled up the cloth with shaking fingers.

Xora was silent for a moment, sharp eyes missing little. “Is she worth it?”

“Yes.” The soft response slipped from his lips automatically, barely caught by his brain.

Even without looking at his friend, he could tell she was frowning by the tone of her voice. “I know I don’t need to caution you, but maybe it’s a good idea to wait to pursue her until after this mess of Sith politics that you’re involved in gets cleaned up.”

His jaw clenched. “I don’t have the luxury of infinite time, Xora. I could be walking to my death in a matter of days.”

“Head up, Khryden Valair,” she hissed, her voice suddenly venomous. The sharp change in tone prompted him to reflexively obey immediately and he eyed her as she advanced predatorily on him, fire in her eyes. “You are my friend, so I’ll only say this once. Life is short. More so for Sith lords like you who still frequent battlefields and warzones. You need to get your priorities sorted. _Before_ you go to your death. You know as well as I do that Baras will exploit any and all disadvantages he sees. He’ll use her against you if he thinks it’ll throw you off balance. Eliminate weakness, and you eliminate his advantage. So screw your head on straight and either pursue her or cut her off. I frankly don’t care which. What I do care about is seeing you alive when all of this is over. Got it?”

He bowed his head, letting her words wash over him. A minute later, he stood, meeting her gaze with a small, sad smile, and left the room, heading towards his bedroom in silence.

Xora watched him go, fiery passion fading as he disappeared around the corner and summoning an incredulous smile to her lips.

“Never thought I’d see the day,” she whispered to the empty room with a wry chuckle. “She’s got you whipped, Khry. Now you just gotta get up off your ass and see it.”

\--=+=--

Jaesa stormed into the ship, aura pulsing red. Intense fury had given way to gloom and misery on her walk back to the docking bay. Her peripheral vision seemed nonexistent as she slammed the button to close the door behind her. Her bloody clothes had attracted some attention as she wandered the streets of Nar Shaadaa, but nobody asked any questions with the volatile expression on her face. That was one thing to be thankful for.

Hearing the door close, Vette poked her head out of the common area. “Hey! How did it…go…?”

Her voice trailed off as she took in Jaesa’s disheveled appearance, stormy countenance, and distinctive lack of a second Sith lord.

Jaesa growled out something about needing a shower and shouldered her way into the crew’s quarters.

Vette watched her go, open-mouthed. All her matchmaking work destroyed after _one night_? What the hell had happened?

\--=+=--

Khryden didn’t come back that night. Or the next. Jaesa holed herself away in random intervals between her bunk in the female crew’s quarters and her meditation room, only deviating from her pattern when her stomach required food. She seemed to alternate between dark depression and encompassing anger, but she didn’t honestly know what she was feeling anymore. Everything was wrong, so wrong. This was not how she had envisioned this ending.

She refused to talk to anyone. Vette tried to come by and wheedle an explanation out of her a few times, but Jaesa sat in stony silence until the Twi’lek eventually left. She wasn’t in the mood to relate everything that had happened in gruesome detail. It was bad enough that she had witnessed it in person. She didn’t want to relive it again.

Jaesa tried meditating, but gave up after trying for hours to untangle the mess of emotions that hovered just beneath her surface. Instead, she sat cross-legged with her back to the kolto tank as it hummed happily in the background and sat there silently with closed eyes. Any other person would have called it sulking, but Jaesa vehemently denied that she was regretting anything that had happened. She just... needed some time to herself, that was all. Some quality time. To think. And not sulk. At all.

She let her head droop, burying her face in her hands. Maybe she had overreacted. But maybe _he_ had overreacted. And until she could step back and get a little perspective, she was stuck in that unforgiving infinite loop.

Khryden came back to the ship on the third night, accompanying boxes of fresh supplies. Jaesa felt his approach immediately through the bond, but he had closed off his end. It was there, but muted and Jaesa felt her heart crash into her stomach. Maybe this was irreparable. Doomed. Irreversible. Unsalvageable. With each word, her heart dropped further and further and she drew up her knees to her chest with her back presses against the kolto tank. She didn’t know what scared her more. The fact that she’d have to confront him sooner or later, or the fact that she cared this much.

The rest of the vacation time flew by after that and by the time the order came to pack up and prepare for takeoff, the entire crew knew something was wrong. Jaesa avoided Khryden like the plague, doing everything in her power to prevent that inevitable meeting. But, whether it was to her relief or disappointment, Khryden seemed to be in no hurry to corner her for another discussion. If anything, he evaded her just as much as she evaded him. Even as he got a call from Servants One and Two as they were leaving Hutt space, he took the call alone in the communications room.

Having been sitting in her meditation room, Jaesa hovered at the corner of the doorway, watching the conversation play out. The two flickering forms over the holoterminal appraised Khryden as he stood before the terminal, feet set in a confidently wide stance and hands clasped behind his back.

“Wrath,” Servant One greeted. “The time for subtlety is long past. Vowrawn has just received his reinforcements on Corellia. That combined with the death of Draagh will incense Baras. He will tighten his grip and attempt to increase his power.”

“What he wields is autonomous,” Two interjected.

“However, a more pressing concern has made itself known. You will go to Voss and meet with the diplomat Darth Serevin.”

The Wrath tilted his head inquisitively. “Tell me about Voss. I don’t believe I’ve heard of it before.”

“Voss is a strange place, and the home of a strange people. Direct conquest was thwarted long ago by the future-seeing Force users they call ‘mystics’. Thus diplomats were sent to the surface to gauge their amenability to an alliance. But the Emperor’s real motivation was more complex. He sought to claim a Voss visionary to house the Voice of the Emperor.”

Khryden shifted his weight onto one leg. “So this mystic is the proof we need to destroy Baras’ claim.”

Two grinned predatorily. “The Wrath finds the mark.”

“That is the purpose,” Servant One agreed. “However, it is not as straightforward as it seems.”

A small, wry smile tugged at Khryden’s lips. “It never is.”

“The true Voice felt an increasing dark side presence in a wild corner of Voss and went on a pilgrimage to discover its source. He had not been heard from since.”

“The Voice is quieted,” Two agreed.

The wry grin slid from his face as annoyance flared. “Wait a minute.” Khryden held up a hand. “You’re telling me that you knew where the real Voice was all this time, knew that he was on Voss, saw that he fell out of contact, and you haven’t sent anyone to investigate until now? Why didn’t I go to Voss in the first place to disprove Baras’ claims? If I had done it earlier, Baras might not have the hold he does now on the Council!”

Servants One and Two exchanged a look following the accusing outburst.

“We do not question the Emperor’s will, Wrath,” Servant One said. “And it would not be beneficial if you start now.”

Jaesa went still as her heart pounded in the tense atmosphere. The implication was clear.

Khryden backed down immediately. “Of course I do not mean to question our great Emperor. His will is mine to carry out. It is not my place to question his motives.”

One narrowed his eyes. “No, it isn't. You will retrace the Voice’s footsteps, discover what has befallen him, and free him.”

The Wrath bowed his head. “I live to serve.”

Servant One nodded and the two flickering blue figures disappeared. Khryden abandoned his confident posture immediately and let his shoulders sag with relief. “That was too close,” he muttered to himself, rubbing one gloved hand over his face. “You idiot, where has your sense gone? Did you leave it on Nar Shaddaa?” A dry chuckle rasped from his throat. “Apparently. Along with a few other important things.”

Touching a few buttons on the communications terminal, he opened a direct line to the bridge. “Quinn, set course for Voss.”

“Right away, my lord.”

“Good.” Khryden nodded absently. “What’s our ETA?”

“Not a lot of time, my lord. Voss is a few hours away if we make the jump to hyperspace now.”

“Do it,” Khryden ordered. “The Voice of the Emperor awaits.”

Jaesa faded back into the shadows of her meditation chamber, letting the darkness hide her. Footsteps approached softly outside and she held her breath as they paused outside. Did he know she was in there? She heard a soft sigh and the footsteps padded away and she felt her heart clench just a little bit more.


	2. The Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some idiot trapped the Voice of the Emperor on Voss, so it’s up to the Wrath to navigate diplomacy, winding roads, and one very unfair fight. Jaesa has a moment of sourness cursing the Wrath’s stubbornness and wants to smack him upside the head, and Vette contemplates getting popcorn for the show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt bad about the ending, so I decided to add the next installment as a chapter instead of a separate work.
> 
> A bit of a long chapter because I couldn’t find a good place to break this up. *shrugs* Oops?

The ship left hyperspace, bringing Voss into view with a smear of stars. The planet was full of color even from space, with bright green foliage clashing with royal blue oceans, but the strangest thing were the golden clouds that wrapped around the world. Jaesa watched it appear through a small window in the conference room as the ship exited hyperspace with a shudder, utterly entranced by its beauty. What she would give to travel down to the surface…But no. Jaesa clenched her jaw, mood of wonder and fascination broken, gazing out into space. She heard Khryden step out of his quarters next to the room she was in and call out to Vette.

“Vette, once you’ve finished helping Quinn ready the docking permissions, go suit up. Unfortunately, a former slave is the most diplomatic person we have in this entire crew.”

She felt her hands ball into fists, latent anger reawakening. She could be diplomatic. She’d be so diplomatic that all the Voss would listen to her or else.

Slowly, she unclenched her fists, eying the eight little crescents pressed into her palms with mild distaste. Maybe that was his point. And maybe this was a good thing. It would give her time alone to think without Vette breathing down her neck or Khryden distractedly roaming the ship. Jaesa retreated to her meditation room, pulling her hood up over her head in the darkness as she crossed her arms and rested her back against the kolto tank. She felt him approach moments later through the Force, heading straight for her.

He stepped halfway into the darkened room, seeing her shadowed form lit up by the tank. Though she knew it was foolish, she allowed herself to hope for a split second that he had come to apologize, to say that there was no one he’d rather have at his side, and to promise that he’d try to make this work.

But her hopes were shattered seconds later when he only said, “Watch the ship.”

That irrational anger bubbled at the flat tone of his voice and she strove to match it as she bowed her head in acknowledgement. “Master.”

Then he was gone, out of the doorway and out of the ship with Vette trailing along behind him when it should have been her. She was the logical choice for backup when going to a planet of Force-users. When it came down to it, Vette didn’t have a chance if they were attacked by several of these mystics at once. Her friend was good, but not that good.

With a heavy heart, Jaesa sat down facing the kolto tank, crossing her legs, and resting her chin on her hands. She stared distantly into the bubbling concoction. Perspective. Was that what she should call this melancholy? Was time and a few minutes of quiet contemplation after seeing her positon filled so easily all it took to gain some? She was still furious, no doubt about that, but a tiny voice in her head kept talking about duty and vows. Her duty as his apprentice, and the vows she made to him. As much as she hated to acknowledge it, it bothered her that she was not fulfilling it.

Duty. She felt required to be at his side, even if he did not request it. She felt obligated to assist him in battle, even when he did not need it. She felt it necessary to do whatever she could to protect him, because she didn’t want him to get hurt. She didn’t want him to get hurt because she loved him. And she loved him for all of his quirks and peculiarities.

Bubbles floated lazily from the bottom, bumping against others on their way up. The tank was prepped for immediate use before every mission, ready for any injuries the ground team might suffer. She frowned. Injuries that Vette may suffer. Injuries that Khryden may suffer. He would suffer, she knew, because she wasn’t there. Nobody could read his intentions like she could. Or fight like striking lightning together like they could. Or know when to pull him away from a situation like she could. Or watch his back like she could. Did she want that? Did she want him to suffer because of one disagreement? Did she want one fight to get in the way of _them_?

The answer came back immediately. No. She didn’t. Sitting here watching the bubbles had awarded her the elusive treasure of perspective. However much she hated him right now for his stubbornness and overprotective nature, she could never want to cause him harm. At least, in _that_ way. A smile ghosted over her lips. In the bedroom, well, that was another story.

Jaesa loved him completely. She knew that now, and didn’t even try to deny it. It was the most passionate love she had ever felt and she didn’t want to give him up. He made her feel whole. Lacking him now had carved a hole in her chest made painfully obvious every time she automatically checked for their Force bond and found it cut off. Looking back on their argument, she may have overreacted. Emotions had been running high the entire night, she had picked the worst time to air her complaints, and it had snowballed into something a lot bigger than it should have. Granted, it still didn’t change any of her feelings about the content of the fight, but this serious relationship stuff was new to her. She was still finding out what worked and what didn’t. And while communication might be important, she thought wryly, there’s a time and a place for everything.

And they were Sith. Passion was their primary sustenance, and from what she had heard, violent arguments between Sith lovers or partners weren’t that rare. Though, she thought, tilting her head thoughtfully, those usually ended with sex. Not that she was complaining in any way.

She needed to talk to him as soon as possible. Now that they both had a chance to cool off, it was a good time to clear the air.

\--=+=--

The door to the ship slamming shut woke Jaesa from her light doze curled up on the floor in front of the kolto tank. For a moment she was dazed and blinked rapidly, trying to yank her mind back to the present to process the sound that woke her up. The door! Khryden was back. She stood up, brushing off her robes. It was now or never.

Striding confidently out into the communications room, she stopped dead in her tracks as Vette came in—alone. She cast out her senses, but the bond remained quiet. A pebble of worry lodged itself in her throat.

“Vette,” she said, struggling to remain calm, “where’s Khryden?”

The Twi’lek rolled her eyes, dropping her blasters on the couch. “His Almighty Sithiness decided to go it alone.”

The onrush of emotion nearly flattened her. “Alone?”

Vette rubbed her grime-streaked forehead, looking way older than she was. “I told him you weren’t going to be happy.”

Before she could stop herself, Jaesa took a threatening step forward, demanding, “What do you mean, _alone_?”

Vette held up her hands, a flash of fear in her eyes. “Hey now, it’s not my fault. It’s not like I can stand up Lord Sithypants! He’d squash me flat, looking…” she swallowed, “…looking a lot like you do now. You know, with the terrifying face and horrifying glowy red eyes?”

Jaesa visibly checked herself, closing her eyes and repressing the darkness that threatened to make her raze a path of destruction until she found him. When she opened them again, they were shimmering gold, but no less full of emotion. “I’m sorry, Vette. Why did he want to go alone?”

Vette shifted uncomfortably. “We were hopping around Voss all fine and dandy, dealing with those creepy Voss people, when one of them told His Royal Sithiness that he had to go to this place called the Nightmare Lands.”

“Fun title,” Jaesa muttered.

“Yeah, sounds like sunshine and rainbows, doesn’t it? Anyway, I was making sure I had all of my thermal detonators when this Voss guy mentions insanity and I perk up. Turns out there this hugely powerful dark side presence in the Nightmare Lands that likes to make people who enter go crazy. To see this Dark Heart place where it is, you had to go get this Blessing, but the Voss guy says to be protected from the insanity, the best protection is to have a mystic with you who can shield you. So Sithy says something about the Force and how he can shield himself and the guy agrees that it’ll work for him, but not for me if he still wants to have enough energy to fight. Plus this Blessing can only be bestowed once in a while because it drains mystic person that bestows it. So Sithy sends me back to the ship and here I am.”

“And the stubborn son of a nerfherder decides his dignity is more important than his life.” Jaesa huffily folded her arms.

“Ooh, I like that nickname. Can I use it? I’ll credit you.”

“No. Only I can call him names and get away with it.”

Vette pouted. “No fair, but you’re probably right.” She perked up. “Hey, _now_ will you tell me what happened on Nar Shaddaa?”

Jaesa felt the familiar rush of anger, but instead of staying, it died down almost immediately. “There’s not much to tell,” she sighed wearily. “Bounty hunters looking for me attacked us, Khryden got shot, and we got into an argument. I think we both needed some time to cool down, which was why I was looking forward to your return. We have some things to discuss.”

The Twi’lek’s mouth made a perfect O. “That…makes sense, actually. And, uh, when you do finally get around to discussing it, make sure you warn me first, ok? I know how violent Sithy arguments can get. I do _not_ want to be decked by a piece of flying furniture.”

That made her smile as she patted her friend’s shoulder before turning away and heading for her footlocker in the crew’s quarters. Vette followed her, dropping her gear on the end of her bed and flopping down on the other half. Seeing Jaesa strap on her utility belt of medpacks and stims and clipping on her lightsaber made Vette perk up. “What’re you doing?”

Jaesa didn’t pause in her preparation. “What does it look like? I’m going after him.”

Vette leaped to her feet, “Uh, no, I don’t think that’s a good idea!”

Jaesa turned her steady gaze on her friend, challenging her. “And why not? If you’re worried about the people, I do have a diplomatic background. I was a handmaiden on Alderaan for many years, I know how to speak in half-truths. And if you're worried about me, I can take care of myself.”

“Well,” Vette wrung her hands. “What about Khryden?”

“What about him?” Jaesa was supremely proud of her ability to keep her voice level.

“Jaesa, you just told me you guys had a pretty bad fight. Do you think he wants to talk to you?”

She finished pulling on her gear and stood tall in her full Sith lord glory, voice firm. “I don’t need him to talk, I need him to listen. And I don’t care how badly he hates me right now, I made a vow as his apprentice to always be there for him, and I will not stop now, even if he doesn’t want me there. I may not have had a chance before but I do now. And I refuse to squander it.”

Spinning on her heel, skirt swirling majestically around her ankles, she swept out the door and off of the ship, looking remarkably like a diplomat on a warpath.

Vette sunk back on her bed, eyes lingering on the door Jaesa had disappeared through. “I don’t know which I want more,” she muttered, sounding honestly conflicted. “To get the hell off this planet when they finally meet up, or to get a jumbo bag of popcorn and watch the show.”

\--=+=--

Vette had sent her the coordinates of the last place Khryden had mentioned, the Shrine of Healing, bringing Jaesa deep into the wildlands of Voss. Her observations from orbit had been correct—it was a beautiful planet. But somehow the beauty had lost its appeal and her focus never strayed from the path before her.

The speeder she had rented from the planet’s capitol, Voss-Ka, was by no means the fastest transportation, but it gave her a chance to question her motives as picturesque scenery flew by in a blur. Duty was her primary purpose, but there was a little intrusive thought that told her this was her chance to prove him wrong. If she could save him, her claims would be even more justified and if nothing else, she'd have more ammunition to throw at him when they eventually talked about it. Or fought about it. Whichever it turned out to be.

The Shrine turned out to be a massive structure in the middle of nowhere, with savage beasts roaming the outskirts and a team of Voss commandos arming the doors with rifles to discourage them from coming any closer. Coming into view of the Shrine’s entrance, a familiar fire sparked in her chest. Even faced with opposition, she was not going to let _anything_ stand in her way. As she approached, a trio of commandos came out to meet her, motioning for her to stop her speeder. She complied, pulling it to a standstill about a hundred meters away from the doors.

“You are not Voss,” the lead commando said as they approached. “What brings an outsider to the Shrine of Healing?”

“I seek the assistance of one of your healers, Vana-Xo.”

The three commandos exchanges glances. “Vana-Xo has no appointments today. Are you here for a scheduled healing?”

“No, I require her assistance in achieving the Blessing of Oneness.”

The lead commando frowned. “Another one? Vana-Xo just bestowed the Blessing to another outsider earlier today. She may be less inclined to bestow a second one.”

“Nevertheless, I must try.”

The commando nodded. “Outsiders are welcome, but adhere to our rules and cause no trouble. We wish you luck in your endeavor.”

She bowed her head in thanks and parked her speeder off to the side in an empty space. Walking through the doors to the Shrine would have been a fantastic experience had she actually stopped to look around, but Jaesa was on a mission that she would not be distracted from. She got directions to Vana-Xo’s chamber from a passing mystic and climbed the mountainous stairs to the Shrine’s upper floor. Entering Vana-Xo’s room, she saw the mystic kneeling before several obviously wounded commandos, all surrounded with a bright golden light. The color reminded Jaesa of that Jedi healing class that she had failed at the Temple.

She paused to slide on her diplomatic persona and called out gently, “Vana-Xo?”

The mystic shuddered as she cut off the golden healing energy and stood, facing her guest. “I am Vana-Xo. What brings an outsider to the Shrine of Healing?”

Jaesa bowed respectfully. “My name is Jaesa Willsaam and I have come to request the Blessing of Oneness.”

“I will tell you what I told the previous outsider who requested my assistance. A sacrifice is required to show your dedication to Voss. Give me your strength to heal these wounded, and I will bestow the Blessing.”

Her first instinct was to scream _No!_ and threaten her way to receiving the Blessing. But if Khryden had done it, he obviously placed diplomatic relations higher on his priority list than his own safety. “The other outsider,” she said slowly. “He complied?”

Vana-Xo nodded. “He did and saved the lives of three Voss. His sacrifice was greatly appreciated, as yours would be.”

Threatening a Voss mystic would not be a good idea. But Jaesa failed to see the positives of willingly weakening herself to help others. Self-sacrifice was not the Sith way. Not to mention that she didn't have the luxury of time, nor did she want to weaken herself for whatever horrors and battles lay ahead. In a moment, her diplomatic persona slid off, revealing the stressed Sith underneath. “Try siphoning my strength and you will regret it,” she hissed. “I don't have time for this. Give me the blessing, or you and every one of your patients die.”

Sadness bloomed in the mystic's kaleidoscopic blue eyes. “I acquiesce. The Blessing of Oneness is yours. The price will be paid another way.” She raised her hands and cupped them in a circle, drawing bright blue power into her palms. Holding out the ball of cerulean light, the energy flowed from her cupped hands and sunk into Jaesa’s chest, making her gasp with the sudden feeling of foreign power. Vana-Xo sagged, nearly doubling over as weakness invaded her body. “Go in peace, for the Blessing of Oneness has been bestowed. Respect Voss.”

Jaesa stiffly bowed her head, feeling alien power crawl under her skin. “My thanks.”

The mystic knelt silently in response, and Jaesa fled the Shrine, shivering as the Blessing took hold. She avoided the gazes of the Voss commandos that watched her leave, grabbing her speeder and taking off with haste.

By the time she reached the outskirts of the Nightmare Lands from Vette’s coordinates, her skin had stopped crawling and a slightly chilled feeling was the only testament to the Blessing’s presence. Pulling the speeder to a stop outside a dead looking forest, she pulled out her datapad and rechecked her map, intent on not losing her path. The Dark Heart was somewhere in the Nightmare Lands. Vette had been able to give here where the Lands were, but not the location of the Dark Heart. Jaesa frowned stormily as she surveyed the map. That was one thing that Vette had conveniently forgotten to mention. The Nightmare Lands were _huge_. It would take a great deal of time or power to search it all for a singular location invisible to all outsiders without the Blessing of Oneness.

A slight shiver skittered over the back of her neck and she stilled. Years of paying attention to her instincts had saved her from beatings on Alderaan, extra meditation hours on Tython, and death nearly everywhere else. Now, she tensed, hand straying to her lightsaber hilt.

She jerked as a shimmering yellow form stepped into her field of vision from behind her. The apparition was a simply dressed and unarmed Voss male. It held up one hand in a placating gesture as Jaesa appraised it, relaxing her posture as she considered it not immediate threat, but refusing to remove her hand from her hilt. “What are you?” she demanded.

The ghost dipped its head. “I was called Madaga-Ru. You seek the Dark Heart, do you not?”

Jaesa narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Yes…”

“You follow the shadowed one that also sought the Dark Heart.”

“Perhaps.” Jaesa kept intentionally vague. What the hell was this thing and why was it here? What was its motivation? “Why do you ask?”

The apparition folded its hands. “Part of a debt must be repaid,” he said simply. “I do not wish another to fall to the influence of Sel-Makor. The shadowed one challenges the dark power, but doesn’t know danger it portrays. For me to repay the debt in full, he must survive.”

Part of a debt? “Why are you telling me this?” Jaesa asked slowly.

Ignoring her, the ghostly form pointed a finger at the datapad clipped to her belt. She removed her fingertips from her hilt and held the device loosely in her hand. A set of coordinates appeared on the screen and a thin trail of smoke to curl delicately from the device as it stopped responding to cues. “That is the location of the Dark Heart. The door has been opened and the trials completed. All you need to do is enter.”

“And once I enter? What then?”

The ghost deigned not to answer and instead bowed its head in farewell and vanished. Jaesa stared skeptically at the coordinates frozen on her datapad’s screen, but came to the unfortunate conclusion that unsolicited help from a native ghost was the best lead she had.

\--=+=--

The Nightmare Lands held a stunning array of monstrous beasts. The things were more akin to Sithspawn abominations than any animal she had ever seen. Packs of the creatures roamed the scraggly forest, quickly converging on anything that dared cross their path with snarling teeth and slashing claws. She followed the line of dead beasts under Force stealth, noticing deep lightsaber wounds in each one.

The closer she got to the Dark Heart, the heavier the dark influence weighed on her shoulders. Though fully concentrated on her destination, she couldn’t help but think how excruciating it would feel to a Jedi aligned with the light. If it was this overbearing to a dark side dedicated Sith lord, she could only imagine how insufferable the influence would feel to a light sided Force user.

Good thing she wasn’t one.

She wrapped herself more firmly in dark power, shutting out the insistent voices that gnawed at the edge of her consciousness, and forged ahead. The Dark Heart was housed in a gloomy cave, tucked back from the wild animals, and nearly overgrown with blackened undergrowth. Entering, she found a long hallway with a set of inner doors opened wide at the end. A familiar set of boot prints pressed into the layer of dust and dirt on the ground and she knelt quickly to confirm her first instinct. He had been here. She was close.

Shuddering, she cautiously stood and slowly prowled towards the open doorway. The atmosphere was cloistering and heavy, and the lack of bright light in the corridor didn’t help. It put her on edge. She flinched as her boot crunched metal and looked down, sweeping her skirt out of the way. The broken and charred remains of a familiar lightsaber hilt smoked silently on the floor, the grip snapped almost completely in half and revealing the fiery orange crystal inside. Ignoring the pang of fear and regret in her chest, she knelt swiftly and poked at it a few times, but the crystal was the only salvageable part. Snatching it, she slipped it in a belt pouch and strode onward.

The Dark Heart opened up, no longer wearing the façade of a small, unimportant cave. It revealed a widely spacious room with repeating geometric designs carved into the floors and walls, but the things that caught her attention were the beasts. Focusing on them, she froze for a precious moment.

Khryden was surrounded by a group of deformed and discolored purple monsters, tainted by veins of black corruption thicker than any concentrated dark side energy she had seen. There were nearly ten of the things, the beasts that looked vaguely like nexu cats, all scarred heavily and a few sporting smoking wounds. But however wounded they were, the monsters refused to relent and were attacking him viciously. Khryden was moving at a speed fueled by the Force in an attempt to defend himself with only one lightsaber, but he was flagging. The injuries striping his body gave immutable proof that he was quickly becoming exhausted. The onslaught was too much to do any more than defend, and the monsters never lacked in energy. One of them dodged his lightsaber and darted forward, screaming a shrill cry and slicing open a new wound on his arm before he could duck.

A shivering rumble started deep in her chest, unstoppable and insistent. Pure dark side energy exploded from within before she realized it. She didn’t call it. Summoned by her intense passion, it was completely reactional.

 “No one touches him,” she hissed, her voice warped with dark side power. Her golden eyes blazed blood red. She thrust out both her hands, fingers clawing the air as twin Force bursts scattered the beasts when two of their number slammed against the intricately carved walls, snapping their necks. Khryden jumped at the distraction, cutting off the head of the closest one as she propelled herself into the fray with a Force charged leap.

He wasted no breath demanding why she was here. And she wasted no time in telling him. Whatever their feelings were, it could wait.

With the now strong presence of the Force bond, they moved in perfect synchronization. Even crippled and half-disarmed as he was, Khryden worked hard to hold up his end of the fighter’s dance. Though tired from a day of traveling, she wasn’t nearly as worn out as he was and moved with deadly grace as she wasted no energy on extraneous moves. But Jaesa quickly found out what had given him so much trouble. The beasts didn’t quit.

Fueled by a corrupted power, the deformed creatures did not falter when injured or feel any pain. The only way to stop them in their tracks was a killing blow and opportunities came few and far between. Jaesa found herself defending far more than striking, and it rankled her. She was made for offense, not defense. So she pushed harder, sustaining her body with dark side power and slashing with such speed that her dualsaber turned into a blur. She felt a responding surge of power at her shoulder from Khryden and concentrated on chipped away at their numbers.

The last beast fell with her doublebladed saber in its throat and a tremble ran through her as she came down off her battle high. Adrenaline pumped as she eyed the creature she had just killed. Deformed and discolored, the beasts that looked vaguely like nexu cats scattered the floor, slashed with old claw scars and fresh lightsaber burns. Leaning close to one to inspect it, she recoiled immediately after getting a whiff of decayed flesh and deeply seeded corruption. These deformed creatures had been dead for a while and reanimated using the well of dark power located here.

A low groan made her whip around and her heart lodged in her throat as she saw Khryden kneeling on the floor, clutching his side. Blood seeped from a hundred different claw marks, but none compared to the gushing bite wound clasped under his hand that had shredded armor and skin alike in the beast’s quest for victory. In her haste to assist and her tunnel vision on their foes, she had failed to see what was right in front of her. It was like someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her head unexpectedly.

She moved without thinking, grabbing a medpac from her belt and falling to her knees next to him. Gently nudging his fingers out of the way, she began treating the wound, slathering it with kolto gel.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was ice.

Though sorely tempted, she didn’t pause in her work affixing kolto-infused bandages. “I’m here to make sure you don’t die. If you have a problem with that,”—she jerked the last tie into place a little harder than strictly required—“then take it up with me _after_ we finish here.”

His lips thinned as he pressed them together. “Later,” he agreed tightly. “We have work to do.” His eyes flared red as leaned on the dark side to sustain his body, cutting off the pain and discomfort from his injuries. Standing straight, he nodded his readiness and they stalked down the hall, aiming for the set of closed doors at the far end.

As they neared, a thundering voice came out of nowhere. Taken by surprise, Jaesa took a step backwards, looking wildly around for its source.

“No closer!” it moaned. “Desist. Death embodied. Death itself.”

Khryden turned slightly in her direction, attracting her attention, and stiffly shook his head. Silently, he touched the opening mechanism and strode through the doors. In the middle of a spacious room stood a Voss. Jaesa nibbled her lower lip. Something was very wrong. She felt it, but couldn’t put her finger on it. The aura coming from the Voss was overbearing and regal. Was this the dark presence that Vana-Xo had mentioned?

“Wrath,” the Voss rumbled. “Come to me.”

His voice was deep and full of undertones, making his words resonate throughout the space. A note of oppressive power rang clear. Khryden paced forward until he was a few meters from the Voss, and to her utter surprise, knelt before him.

The native turned, kaleidoscopic eyes flaring red. “I am your Emperor.”

Swallowing suddenly became extremely difficult and sweat broke out on her forehead as she knelt quickly.

“Rise,” intoned the Voice of the Emperor. “Rise and follow me.”

Khryden and Jaesa obeyed immediately, the stifling aura of dark influence not lifting for a moment. She hovered a step behind him, valiantly resisting the urge to wipe her face. _Whatever you do_ , she thought, _do not show weakness. Do not draw attention to yourself. And for the love of the Force, do not anger the Voice of the Emperor!_

The Voice turned as they neared the center of the room, locking his forceful gaze on Khryden. “Darth Baras plays the old games. He maneuvered me here, knowing this body could be bound to this place.”

The warrior lifted his chin. “I will make Baras pay for every deceit. He will die.”

The Voss lifted a hand. “Yes. But my exit is paramount. Sel-Makor’s dark secrets here are of import, but they will wait. I must be released. Another time I will return for what I require. For now, Sel-Makor makes suicide impossible. You must kill this body to free my spirit.”

The Emperor’s Wrath bowed. “Direct your weapon. I am ready and willing to serve you.”

“I am ready, Wrath,” the Voice hissed. “Strike this vessel down!”

Khryden unclipped his remaining lightsaber, but before he could light it, the same thundering voice as before rang out.

“No! Forever bound!”

Her mouth dropped open as sickly purple tentacles of power wrapped around the Voice, making him shudder and shake violently. The vessel’s eyes flared purple and when it opened its mouth, the voice wasn’t the Emperor’s.

“Sel-Makor takes this body! Such…power!” The thing’s gaze locked on Khryden. “It is mine. You cannot have it!”

Raising its arms, purple tendrils arced to the ground, creating purple ghosts that looked like dead Voss commandos wielding vibroblades. Eerily, they lifted their heads as one and as Sel-Makor’s vessel pointed at the Emperor’s Wrath, they simultaneously unsheathed their vibroblades and started for him.

“Meet my immortal army!” Sel-Makor cackled. “Voss that serve me in death as they did in life. They cannot be killed. I will enjoy watching you die.”

“Jaesa!” Khryden ordered. “Flank them!”

For an awful moment, she couldn’t move. Sel-Makor’s voice echoed in her head, whispering terrible things. _It is the destiny of every Sith apprentice to outstrip their_ master, it murmured. _This is your moment. Strike him down and leave the Voice—take your rightful place as the Emperor’s Wrath! No one would dare defy you or ever underestimate you again!_

No no no “No!” Rage shattered the control over her mind and she wasted no time in propelling herself into the fray. She would not stoop to that level. She was loyal, trustworthy, and dedicated to Khryden completely. And she was not a normal Sith. Neither of them were. She trusted him, and he, her. Jaesa would not break that trust for any promise of power in the galaxy.

She landed with an explosion of power, throwing back the nearest ghosts. Spinning her dualsaber expertly, she barely noticed her lips drawing back in a snarl as she faced her opponents. But Sel-Makor’s voice wouldn’t give up. _Do it now, do it now! Now is the time to strike! Seize your destiny!_

A guttural growl erupted from her throat as she dug deep, ripping the dark power she needed from the abyss inside her. She fought with increased intensity, each snarled word punctuated by a lightsaber strike. “Get. Out. Of. My. Head!”

Khryden used a split second to glance over at her, concerned, but he was quickly pushed back under the advance of the apparitions. She whirled, lightsaber a blur, but the ghosts were relentless. _How do you kill ghosts?_ She thought desperately, panic tinging her thoughts. _Our lightsabers can’t harm them!_ The Voice was possessed and therefore was no help. Khryden had adopted the wild and powerful techniques of the Sith juggernaut, but he was unused to the imbalance of weapons in his hands. His movements lacked the intense confidence that he usually portrayed.

It was at this moment, with seemingly immortal ghosts surrounding and bearing down on them, that Jaesa began to doubt. All of her anxiety and fear coalesced into one single thought: _We might die here_.

She swallowed, clenching the grip of her doublebladed lightsaber that felt useless in her hands. She had never met a foe that could not be bested with her blade and the reality that the two of them might not be as powerful as she thought them to be brought a cold reality check down upon her head. But as quickly as that thought sunk into her mind, resolve clenched the pit of her stomach into a ball of steel. _If I’m going to die here, then I will go down fighting._

_We’re not going to die here._

She nearly missed her strike in shock. Had she been projecting her thoughts that strongly? _Khryden?_ His voice was a warm balm soothing her fears. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the intimacy until the bond had returned full force.

_Yes, and I mean it. There’s too much we haven’t covered. I will not lay down and die while I house this much regret._

Jaesa ducked as a shadowed blade swung above her head. _As much as I agree, I hope you have a plan_.

She could feel his hesitation. _You’re not going to like it._

_Please_. She spun her saber in a vertical circle, deflecting two strikes at once in a blur of red. _When have I ever liked any of your plans? And for that matter, when have they ever failed us?_

_It’s dangerous. And risky. But you know I’d never ask you to do something I didn’t think you could do._

A blade clipped her side, slicing a cut along her bare ribs. Hissing in pain, she gave ground. _Tell me, damn it! If you think it’ll work, I trust you!_

She didn’t have time to register his slight pause. As if sensing their communication, the commando ghosts pressed them harder, seemingly starting to coordinate their attacks instead of depending on brute force and numbers.

_I can draw the ghosts away, but you need to get to the Voice. Cause the vessel enough pain, and I think Sel-Makor’s hold will break. You’ll be able to kill it._

_No,_ she replied instantly. _You’re the Emperor’s Wrath._ _You need to be the one to kill the thing. I’ll occupy the ghosts for as long as I can._

_Jaesa, I can’t let you—_

She cut him off. _Can’t let me what? Choose? This is my choice. You can’t protect me forever, Khryden. Our lives are too chaotic for that._ Jaesa exhaled in a gust as a blade narrowly missed her head _. I can draw all of the ghosts away so you can execute the Voice. I choose this voluntarily. I will do anything you need me to do. If I sacrifice myself, then so be it. It will be a good death._

_Don’t think that way. We’re going to survive this._

_And if we don’t? I’d rather say premature goodbyes than none at all._

She half-expected him to exclaim that there was another way, but his mental voice was subdued. _I…I…It was a pleasure fighting alongside you, Lord Willsaam._

Unable to generate tears while fighting for her life, her body settled with lodging a planet-sized lump of regret in her throat. _Say my name. Just one more time_.

_Lor—Jaesa. Be careful_. _I…I…_ His voice cracked suddenly _. I’m sorry, I can’t. Good luck_.

The connection closed suddenly, but Jaesa had no time to agonize over what might have been said. Tugging the Force over her, her body faded suddenly from view and she ducked under a swinging arm, popping up behind the group of ghosts and backstabbing one swiftly as her stealth vanished. Springing backwards to avoid an impossibly quick retaliation, she threw her dualsaber, guiding it in a spinning arc to hit each apparition as Khryden, face set in concentration, drew on his limited knowledge of stealth to disappear for a few seconds. The sudden loss of their previous target and acquiring a new one so rapidly aggravated the phantoms sufficiently. Turning almost as one, the ghosts locked onto Jaesa’s fleeing form as she darted to the far edge of the room, and ran after her. Seeing his opportunity, Khryden released his stealth and sprinted for the possessed Voice of the Emperor.

Against a mob of immortal ghosts whose blades could still draw blood, Jaesa did what any smart person would do: She ran.

Heart pounding in her throat, she paused just long enough to throw two of them against the wall before sprinting on. Facing twice the number of phantoms that she had fought previously, Jaesa had no illusions about what she could or could not do. It was all she could do to maintain this hit and run tactic, depending heavily on Force techniques and telekinesis to keep the swarm’s attention.

It was all working well until it wasn't.

It started with a simple mistake. She turned the wrong way and nearly got decapitated by a ghost. Bending backwards so far she nearly fell to the ground, the blade whistled over her head, much too close for her liking. She turned to escape, but came face to face with a wall. Cornered.

Her senses screamed at her and she ducked to the side, a vibroblade heading straight for her neck slicing a hole in her hood and nicking a few strands of hair. Using her momentum to spin to the side, she threw her doublesaber, guiding it to hit the stragglers and at the same time thrust out both of her hands in a strong Force push. The nearest phantoms were propelled off their feet and sent skidding on the ground a few meters away. Holding out her hand, Jaesa felt her hilt strike her palm and wrapped her fingers around the warm metal cylinder, bringing it to a defensive position without wasting any precious energy on flourishes or twirls. This was it. The ghosts slowly rose and advanced. As if trained, they spread out in a semicircular shape, effectively boxing her in.

In moments, they would attack. And she would be cut down. And then they'd go for Khryden.

She wanted to cry in her last moments. Terror and hopelessness finally compounded into blanketing depression. But the combination of adrenaline and fear fueled her fight or flight response kept her eyes wide open and dry

As quickly as that immovable sadness came, however, it faded within seconds.

_Die with some dignity_ , she told herself, her mental voice harsh with unspent tears. _No matter how much it hurts, you keep fighting. The longer you can delay them, the better chance Khryden has._

They flew at her, blades swinging as one. She maintained a Force shield for as long as she could, even sapping strength from her own limbs to fuel it, but it sustained an incessant beating and it was only a matter of time before it shattered. The sound seemed to echo as she brought up her dualsaber to block two arcing blades, knowing with full certainty that she would not be able to move fast enough to deflect the vibrosword on a vengeful path toward her ribs.

The blade cut deep, with pain flaring so intensely that she couldn't hold back an involuntary cry. Her back hit the wall as she stumbled backwards, hand pressed to staunch the blood spurting from the wound. Pain was good, it meant that she was still alive and doing her job in keeping the ghosts’ attention on her. But this was _fire_.

_Internal damage_ , she thought breathlessly, barely fending off the next wave of attacks. _Must've nicked something important. Oh, Force, does that hurt!_

Raising her dualsaber like a staff, she tried valiantly to block as many blades as she could, but the next strike wedged a vibroblade in her hilt, biting deep into the metal. Her saber sparked, the dual blades blinking, then extinguished. A small thread of smoke curling out from where the blade met the metal.

Jaesa looked at her useless hilt, then up to the surrounding ghosts, then back down to her hilt.

“Oh,” she said in a small voice.

Saber destroyed and completely exhausted, she collapsed to her knees, forearms crossed over her head in a pathetic attempt to ward off the deadly blows. Blades bit her skin from a thousand angles as she grasped her last remaining thread of connection to the Force like a lifeline, too exhausted and in too much pain to do anything beyond channeling it into her skin, hardening it, and protecting her from the worst of the blows.

Jaesa knew she was in trouble the moment the agony became so awful that all feeling fled from her body. She lost her tenuous grip on the Force and crumpled to the ground with a small sigh, utterly spent and teetering on the border of consciousness. From her position on the ground, cheek pressed to the bloody slabs of stone, she observed the closest ghost raise its vibrosword above its head with passive interest.

_It’s going to cut my head off. That’s too bad. I like my head._

Something tugged at the back of her mind.

_My head. I need that. Khryden likes my head, too._

It pulled harder, reawakening the part of her brain that could feel. Fresh agony poured into her overworked synapses, ripping a guttural scream from her throat. Her muscles clenched and her body seized through the pain as her last thread of restraint snapped.

Darkness exploded from her chest, running rivulets of black corruption down her arms and legs. Fueled completely by the vines of pure dark energy housed in her soul, she screamed, but this was a different kind of scream. Her mouth opened, but no sound issued forth. Instead, silvery lines emulating soundwaves rippled outwards, snagging every phantom in the vicinity in its immobilizing path. The ominously raised vibrosword above her head froze as the stun took hold.

She counted the seconds off in her head, barely mouthing the words. It would only last a few more moments, she was sure. They were too powerful for a weak, last-ditch Force attack like that to hold them for very long. And as soon as those seconds were up, she would be…

The ghosts abruptly vanished before her fevered eyes, vibroswords and all. Devoid of energy, will, and vitality, Jaesa couldn’t move, couldn’t feel. Slowly slipping into unconsciousness, the one thing that could keep her awake, did.

“ _Jaesa_!”

Her eyes blinked slowly as Khryden fell to his knees beside her, cupping her bruised face delicately in his bloodstained hands. He looked so worried, she thought. He had that little line that sprung up between his eyebrows whenever he frowned and it was making an appearance now. She wanted to reach up and rub it away, but her hands weren’t responding to her brain. Blood flecked his cheek and his golden eyes were wide and fearful.

“Oh no. Oh, no. No no. Jaesa, can you hear me? Stay with me, ok? Listen to my voice.”

His thumbs were making tiny circles on her cheekbones, the only thing she could really feel. All the pain was a looming storm on the horizon, with clouds as black as death and blood red rain. On the other side was pitch blackness that promised freedom from pain and all feeling. But Jaesa was stuck in the middle. Something was keeping her there.

“Jaesa, you have to stay awake. Listen to me. The bond is keeping you conscious right now, but it’ll only stay that way if neither of us cut it off, ok? Don’t cut me off. Please. I can’t handle being separated from you like that again. It felt like a part of me was missing. Please stay with me.”

A smile brushed her lips. No, she could never cut him off. Not like that, not again. She tried to tell him he had nothing to worry about, but her mouth and throat were drier than Tatooine. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t make sounds exit her vocal chords.

He swallowed thickly. “I’m going to pick you up, ok? It might hurt, but I need you to stay strong for me.”

Arms wrapped around her shoulders and under her knees and scooped her up. The storm on the horizon thundered in response on one side, and the blackness reached out to her on the other, but the bond kept her firmly in the middle.

“We did it, you know. The plan worked. Once I fought through Sel-Makor’s defenses, I was able to kill the Voice. His defeat triggered the disappearance of the ghosts. You helped me do that.”

Her cheek resting against his chest, Jaesa felt the racing beat of his heart as he rushed her to the speeders. His breath came in gasping pants that seemed far too labored to be from exhaustion alone.

“We’re too far in the Nightmare Lands for a med evac.” He placed her gently on the speeder and mounted behind her, right arm steering while the left curled around her shoulders, bracing her body against his. “I don’t even have a medpac left and you wasted yours trying to patch me up. The ship can’t reach us, and I have no way to contact them. This whole area is a dead zone. No communications arrays. The closest medical center is the Shrine of Healing.” He started the speeder with a growl of the engine and jammed the throttle forward. “So that’s where we’re going. Stay with me. Ok? I’m going to keep talking to you. Just don’t pass out.”

\--=+=--

The speeder ride lulled Jaesa into a meditative state, lessening her awareness as she and Khryden pulled up to the Voss Shrine of Healing. Getting inside was a blur to her, but she didn’t hear anyone yell orders to stop or the ominous sound of blaster bolts. Khryden staggered up the stairs as fast as he could while carrying her, trying not to jostle her any more than was strictly necessary. His heart hadn’t stopped its frantic beating since the Nightmare Lands and she was tempted to tell him to slow down or he’d have a heart attack.

“Vana-Xo!” Khryden gasped, stumbling to an abrupt halt.

Jaesa couldn’t see the Voss healer, but she could hear the native’s impassive voice. “The outsider returns, and with an injured compatriot. This _is_ unusual.”

“Vana-Xo, please.” Her heart broke as his voice did. He sounded so…lost. Terrified. All she wanted to do was pull him into a hug in the middle of the Shrine, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. “You can heal her, I know you can. Please do this for me. She’ll die otherwise.”

A pause. “There was a lack of respect, and this is the price paid. I will not siphon my own strength to heal an outsider that disrespected Voss when my people lie dying behind me.”

“Then take mine!” Such an explosion of emotion was a startling contrast to the Voss healer’s inexpressive voice. “Siphon my strength, I gave it to you once before!”

The Voss hesitated, sounding concerned. “You are weak and injured. In this state, the loss could kill you.”

“I don’t care. Do it. _Please_.”

Pleading this way was improper for a Sith lord, Jaesa tried to say, but her mouth felt frozen shut.

Vana-Xo sighed lightly. “Very well. I am merely the conduit. Lay her down and kneel next to her. That way there will be a shorter distance to fall when you faint.”

His voice was tight. “Whatever needs to be done.”

Her cheek left its warm spot on his chest and she nearly whimpered at its loss. Khryden brushed her hair back from her face tenderly, hands shaking, and lowered his voice to a whisper. “You’re almost there, Jaesa. Stay strong just a little bit longer.”

He sat back, nodding his preparedness to Vana-Xo. Brilliant golden light instantly enveloped the mystic and threads reached out to the Emperor’s Wrath, wrapping around him until he too was glowing brightly. The golden threaded link between them pulsed vividly as the mystic reacquainted herself with his energy patterns, then broke off to enfold Jaesa. The light flared in a golden triangle as Vana-Xo’s voice floated across the space between them, aimed at Khryden. “You have a connection with her. You have been keeping her alive when she should be dead. And as injured as you are…That is impressive, and I do not give praise lightly. The two of you are unusually strong. But whether you are strong enough to survive this healing remains to be seen.”

The Voss healer paused, then continued with some difficulty. “I thought I would never feel sadness for an outsider’s plight like I feel towards my own people. But this..this feeling is remarkably close to sadness. It is this sensation that allows me to connect with my patients and guide them towards a deeper healing. I hope it serves you as well as it served those I have healed.”

The Force bond was between Jaesa and Khryden was integrated so deeply after it remained Jaesa’s sole link to consciousness for so long, that she didn’t even need her eyes to see what was going on. If Khryden could see it, then she could see it. The brightness of the golden light had enveloped all three of them and was pulsing with dazzling vivacity. Attracted to the light like a moth to a flame, she stared at it, fascinated, as the minutes passed.

What felt like hours later, the glow lessened and Jaesa realized how good she felt. The storm on the horizon in her mind had broken up and the darkness surrounding her no longer felt stifling. But she was overly tired and a quick mental examination of her limbs told her that her muscles were still utterly exhausted and she wasn’t moving anytime soon. Her eyes fought to stay open as the golden shine faded fully and Vana-Xo stood up, quickly stepping forward to catch Khryden with outstretched hands as he collapsed, unmoving.

Jaesa felt a flash of panic as Vana-Xo slid him to the ground and out of her view. What was happening? Was she really so weak that she couldn’t move her head? How she hated feeling helpless!

The mystic leaned over her, kaleidoscopic eyes blinking hypnotically as Jaesa struggled to stay awake. “Sleep, outsider. I will do my best to heal him. One that has given his strength to Voss and reduced the dark presence of the Nightmare Lands is precious indeed. Sleep, all will be well.”

The native’s voice was soft and soothing and the words reassured Jaesa enough to persuade her to close her eyes. It was only a matter of moments before Jaesa drifted off into a deep sleep.

\--=+=--

“Vana-Xo. My apprentice and I owe you a great debt. If there is any way we can repay it while our ship is still docked at the Voss space station, merely ask.”

Jaesa smiled at him, partly amused by his intensely formal voice, but mostly just to smile. After days of touch and go, Khryden had pulled though, much to her intense relief and happiness.

As soon as she had woken up and had regained enough strength to hold a holocom, Jaesa had called the ship to relay what had happened and the reason for the delay. Vette had nearly cried with relief when she heard that they were both all right and even Pierce looked relieved. Quinn had gone from looking elated to depressed, but he hid it quickly enough that Jaesa brushed it off as a visual glitch. She had conveyed their need for a few days of recuperation before either of them would be in good enough shape to ride a speeder, and told the rest of the crew to expect them then, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Vana-Xo shook her head, a smile tinging her lips. “You lent me your strength to heal my people and in return, I gave the Blessing of Oneness. You fought the growing dark presence of the Nightmare Lands that drove many Voss mad and in return, I gave you healing. There is no debt you owe me.” She gave them a small bow in farewell. “Respect Voss.”

Finally walking out of the Shrine into the warm sunlight after days of being cooped up inside was one of the best feelings Jaesa had ever experienced. Heading towards where the speeder was parked, she abruptly stopped dead, remembering something. “Oh no, I left my speeder next to the Dark Heart!”

Khryden didn’t stop, and if anything, walked faster. “No. Absolutely not. We’re leaving it there to rust. I’d rather pay the ten thousand credit replacement fee than go back through those Force-forsaken Nightmare Lands just to retrieve a _speeder_. No way.”

Somehow, his stone-like expression combined with the finality of his tone made Jaesa crack up laughing. He threw her a side glance as she grabbed onto his shoulder for support, but his stormy countenance gradually morphed into an amused smile as he watched her.

“It’s good to hear you laugh again,” he murmured quietly.

Her giggles dissolved into hiccups and she wiped her eyes, grinning wider than she had in a long time.

The speeder ride back was quiet and contemplative. Now that the threat of imminent death had passed, Jaesa remembered her original reasons for going to find Khryden. After mentally reminding herself to bring it up soon, she resolved to just enjoy the moment of relative peace while it lasted. As they ambled through Voss-Ka after dropping off one speeder and paying the replacement fee for the second, she noticed the setting sun burning a slow but vibrant red-orange path across the sky.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Jaesa said as they walked. She dug the fiery orange lightsaber crystal from her belt pouch and offered it to him. “I found this on my way in to the Dark Heart. The rest of the hilt was smashed beyond repair, but the crystal survived. Figured you’d want it back. How did it happen?”

He accepted it from her palm, turning it over in his fingers. “Ah, thank you. I thought it was completely useless, so I had planned on retrieving it on the way out. As for how it happened…” He grimaced. “It was a stupid mistake on my part. I was lucky that it only cost me my offhand lightsaber, and not my life.

“You saw those giant abominations throughout the Nightmare Lands, didn’t you?” At her nod, he shook his head wryly. “I disrupted one. The thing chased me into the cave and caught my lightsaber in its mouth when I threw it trying to scare it off. Crushed the hilt in its teeth and spat it back at me. It lost interest eventually when I retreated deeper into the cave, but the damage had been done.”

He tucked the crystal into his belt, ruefully shaking his head. “I’ve spent so long depending on two lightsabers that suddenly using only one was more of a shock than it should have been. A mistake, and it won’t happen again.” Khryden cast a side glance at her. “I was lucky you came along when you did. A little longer and they would have mobbed me. You saved my life.”

“You saved mine,” she reminded him, wanting so bad to kiss that little mark of worry off his face, but restraining herself. “I think we’re equal.”

“Well, not quite.” He patted his belt pouch. “I owe you a new lightsaber crystal for salvaging mine. You don’t have to decide on a color right now, but if we want to get one before we get to Corellia, I’ll need to put in an order as soon as we get back to the ship.”

“I don’t need time to decide. As much as I love the color red, I think purple suits me better. You know, with the purple theme and all that.” She gestured to her violet war paint and lilac robes, adopting an over the top self-satisfied grin. “And that’s not even mentioning the fallen Jedi aspect.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough. Purple it is. Do you have crafting components for a new hilt or should I order some?”

Jaesa wrinkled her nose. “That specific lightsaber was the one I created at the Jedi Temple on Tython. I haven’t made one since then.”

“Components too, then,” he agreed as they arrived at the door to the shuttle that would transport them to the space docking station.

She placed a restraining hand on his arm before he could open the door and summoned his questioning gaze as he paused.

“We do need to talk, Khryden,” she reminded him. “Privately.”

He nodded emphatically, frowning slightly. “Yes, we do. I’m hoping we’ll have enough time while flying to Corellia.”

“On the ship?”

“We can talk on Corellia, if you prefer, but I’m afraid we can’t waste any more time. I don’t know how much you heard from the last conversation I had with Servants One and Two, but they’re getting antsy. Baras has a lot of resistance built up and it takes time to tear it down. According to the Hand, time is something we don’t have.”

Jaesa slowly nodded her acquiescence. “Of course. I understand. The ship will have to do, then, since I imagine Corellia will be one mess of a war zone.”

Khryden made a face as he held open the door to the shuttle for her. “Yes, more war zones. Gotta love ‘em. Fires everywhere, smoke so thick you can’t breathe, and of course, the constant threat of death by airstrike hanging over your head.”

She smiled as they continued to bicker good-naturedly throughout the shuttle ride. Voss hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but the end result was what she had hoped for. They were talking again and Khryden seemed open to some serious discussion. It wasn’t all over yet. They still had a long way to go. As soon as they got on track to Corellia, they would need to have that talk, but for now, she was happy. They were mending the gaps and the end of their crusade against Baras was in sight.

Things were definitely looking up.

\--=+=--

“And so, idiotically, the Voss commandos refused to give it to me. So I killed them all and took the Pendant of Bone from their dead hands.” Khryden chuckled. “You should have seen the looks on their face as I cut them down. You would have gotten a kick out of it.”

Jaesa snickered as they walked side by side down the hallway to the bay where their ship was docked. “I’m sure it was lovely—Khryden?”

The Wrath had stopped in his tracks and as she turned to ask him why he had paused, she felt it too. A familiar shivering feeling down her spine. His right hand twitched toward his remaining lightsaber on his belt as the shining yellow form of a Voss ghost appeared behind him. Jaesa caught his gaze and nodded in that direction as he spun around.

“Madaga-Ru,” he greeted, his voice cool. “Why are you here?

The ghost stepped forward. “I come to pay for what I took. Knowledge, and a warning.”

Khryden slowly dropped his hand from the hilt on his belt. “Speak.”

“The Dark Heart is Sel-Makor’s prison. I exist to prevent his escape. Through you, I know how to banish Sel-Makor forever.”

“Why does this matter to me?”

“You felt Sel-Makor’s power. In his domain, he is all-powerful. Able to trap even your Emperor. If he is unbound, his domain spreads. Nothing could defy him.” The Voss looked away for a moment, then locked his empty gaze on Khryden. “You helped. I grant you this secret. Be warned, one of your own plans to betray you.”

“Betray me?” The Wrath’s face hardened. “Tell me which one.”

Madaga-Ru shook his head sadly. “The vision ends. You must be the interpreter.” He bowed. “Voss bids you farewell.”

Khryden swore as the ghost vanished.

Jaesa was frozen in place, mind racing. Who could it be? Could it be a crew member? Or was it one of Khryden's minions on another planet? A shiver slid down her spine as she tentatively reached out to him via their bond. If the emotions rolling off of him were any indication, he was completely caught up in the storm of possibilities.

_Khryden_.

He swore again, louder, his brow furrowing.

_Khryden_.

His hands reached automatically for the reassuring weight of his lightsaber hilts and he flinched when only one found its mark.

_Khryden!_

She placed herself in front of his blank gaze, forcing him to look at her. He came back to himself with a blink and stumbled backwards a step, eyes wild. She raised her hands slowly, palms facing him on a placating gesture.

_Listen to me._

He swallowed and gave a sharp nod.

_This is no time to lose sight of the long run. Some paranoia is good, but too much leads to Baras’ level of paranoia. It's self-destructive. If the betrayer has hidden themselves this well for this long, another week will make no difference. All we can do is be aware and prepare ourselves for when they inevitably show themselves. Don't lose your head._

He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. _I know. I just can't help but see the parallels with House Valair’s betrayal. It took me by surprise. I'll be fine, I promise._

She stepped close, placing a hand on his cheek. His eyes slid closed, comforted by that simple touch and he sighed before leaning down to place a chaste kiss on her forehead.

_I will need your help, though_ , he murmured mentally _. I need you to watch my back for me while I concentrate on Corellia. If there's one place where a betrayer would probably strike, it would be a war zone. A lot of outside factors to blame problems on. I hesitate to ask you, but keep your special power close. I'll need you to check everyone we meet._

She nodded immediately. _Of course. But,_ she cautioned, _we don't even know to what level this betrayal will be. It could be something as insignificant as bringing news of your arrival to Baras._

_We have to be ready for anything_ , he agreed, a determined expression setting his face. _It could come at any moment. We have to be prepared._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sure you all know what comes next. To quote Scar from The Lion King: “Be prepared.”

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who care, Xora is one of my neutral imperial agents that happened to fit into this too well as a part of her “before Intelligence” backstory


End file.
